KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia closed almost flat on Tuesday as buying interest rotated away from index heavyweights towards smaller-cap construction stocks, with sentiment affected by geopolitical uncertainty, said an analyst. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 0.39 of a point to 1,714.40 from Monday’s close of 1,714.79. The benchmark index opened 1.65 points lower at 1,713.14 and moved between 1,710.44 and 1,714.50 throughout the trading session. The broader market was almost evenly balanced, with decliners leading gainers 548 to 546, while 598 counters were unchanged, 1,107 were untraded and 25 were suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.13 billion units valued at RM3.14 billion from 3.60 billion units valued at RM2.45 billion on Monday.
What’s happening The US dollar is coming under renewed pressure in early 2026 as investors reassess political, monetary and geopolitical risks tied to the US. The greenback is on track for its sharpest three-day drop since April 2025 , when tariff threats triggered a broad selloff in US assets. Under Donald Trump , policy unpredictability has resurfaced — from tariff threats and geopolitical brinkmanship to attacks on Federal Reserve independence — prompting investors to rethink long-held assumptions about dollar stability. Why the dollar is under fire Several forces are converging: Political risk premium is rising : erratic trade threats, diplomatic tensions, and renewed talk of a US government shutdown Monetary policy divergence : markets expect the Fed to cut rates at least twice this year, while other central banks pause or even tighten Fed leadership uncertainty : Chair Jerome Powell is set to step down in May, with speculation that a more dovish...